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    MadeInAmerica

    MadeInAmerica

  • Adventures in Homesteading 101: It's Slaughter Time!

    As a homesteader, culling your flock of chickens and other fowl you might have becomes a neccessity after the hens or females are no longer able to lay or when you have too many males. Here are some helpful tips I've learned along the way in our journey of becoming more self-reliant as homesteaders who grow and raise as much of our own food as we can.*Some people might think that killing birds you've raised from hatchlings is a cold-hearted way of going about things, but I look at it this way... ...

  • Does Your Cat Smile?

    Does your cat smile?Mine does. All the time...and it's creepy. I don't quite know if it's because she is a happy cat or just plain bonkers, but she smiles at me whenever she is doing something I don't want her to do, like sneaking into my food when I'm not looking (or she thinks I'm not looking) and I catch her in the act, or when life just seems to be going her way.I had never seen a cat smile before until her. Is this a normal thing for cats to do? My husband and I have 5 other indoor only cats. None of them smile. Only Cracker (named for her white fur with black spots). ...

  • Adventures in Homesteading 101: Budget Friendly Chicken and Duck Coop Building Ideas

    As homesteaders who grow and raise our own food, when my husband and I decided to expand the amount of our poultry and ducks, we needed to build a bigger home for them. Backyard poultry and fowl need plenty of room per bird in order to live healthy and happy, and we wanted the best we could afford while staying within our measly budget. Fortunately for us, my husband used to be a contractor so building one was relatively easy. Most chicken coops are basically a frame, walls, floor, roof, and a wire enclosed run, making it easy enough for just about anyone to build their own. ...

  • Backyard Chickens: Have You Hugged Yours Today?

    Chickens make awesome pets, as some of us know. My husband and I homestead, which means we raise and grow as much of our own food as we can on our 2 little acres out in the country. Our Buff rooster, pictured above, quickly became our best backyard buddy who stole our hearts so much that he will never see the inside of an oven or frying pan. His life started out on our homestead as a day old baby that we lovingly raised and, over time, trained. He's a stud-muffin and he knows it. He rules the hen houses, keeping all of our feathered ladies in line and our breeders fertilized. ...

  • Adventures in Homesteading 101: How Does Your Orchard Grow?

    When my husband and I began our homestead, the very first thing we wanted to get started on right away was our orchard. Trees take longer to mature and produce than gardens do, so it is tops on the priority list when adding them to your property. We only have 2 acres to work with so prior planning, in order to utilize every square foot to its utmost, is advantageous for us in our homesteading adventure. ...

  • GET YOUR HERB GARDEN ON!: Motivational Tips for Healthier Food and Living

    Want to grow herbs for cooking or have an herb garden yet you keep putting it off? Yeah, yeah, yeah, we've all heard the excuses: "I don't have time.", "It's too expensive.", "I'll never use what I grow.", "I don't have a green thumb. They'll just die anyway so why bother really?", "I live in an apartment.", or "It's easier to just buy them at the store." Stop with the excuses already! By making excuses, you are sabotaging yourself. Herb gardens are an asset to your life, not a liability. ...

  • Adventures in Homesteading 101: Quack Quack - Ducks!

    Chickens not enough for you and you want to add ducks to your backyard livestock? Think twice about that! Ducks are wonderful and fun, don't get me wrong, but they are very different from chickens in many ways and require a lot more effort. We have Pekins and Mallards. On some days they wear me out! Here's the skinny on both if you want more info or are still deciding on which ones to get.Pekin ducks: These are the white ducks you see in Aflac tv commercials. They are large, cannot fly, are very smart, very inquisitive, and prefer the company of people over other ducks. ...

  • Adventures in Homesteading 101: First Aid for Chickens

    Every once in awhile a chicken gets injured. Minor wounds are something you'll eventually have to contend with when raising your backyard flock.If your hens are aggressively pecking at each other to the point of drawing blood and won't quit no matter what you try to do, you might have to consider clipping the end of their top beak to prevent the injury of other birds. Only clip off a little bit of the end. Clip off too much and the bird won't be able to eat.Pecking wounds have to be attended to immediately or the other birds will continue pecking at it, making it worse. ...

  • Adventures in Homesteading 101: Tips on Housing Your Chickens

    Once your baby chicks are fully feathered, it's time for them to be transferred out of their 'nursery' and into their outside coop. There are a lot of things to take into consideration on how you plan to house them and what type of coop is suitable for yours and their needs. Chickens must be kept dry and have well-ventilated shelter from the elements when necessary.If you only plan to have 3-4 backyard hens, a small coop with a built-in layer box, roosting pole, and run is sufficient. ...

  • Orpingtons, Buttercups, and Sumatras, Oh My!

    One of my friends asked me to elaborate on a few breeds. While there are many wonderful and beautiful rare breed chickens in the world, Orpingtons, Buttercups, and Sumatras are the ones me and my husband chose for our homestead flock. Considering adding any or all of these to your flock? Here's the skinny on our experiences with each:Orpington: Orpingtons come in three varieties; Buff Orpington and Bantam white and black.This is a hardy breed well suited for colder climates. They are fluffily feathered from head to toe. Orpington hens have short, stout, and wide bodies with a husky girth. ...

  • Easy Caramel Sticky Rolls Anyone Can Do

    These are so good and so easy, you'll make them time and time again. There is no measuring in this recipe, only approximate amounts because it's so easy to do. Great recipe to do with the kids on the weekend! They can help out. Pure awesomeness and practically fail-proof. Don't worry, you can't mess this one up. This has been a family favorite for many years in my house. Us country folk like to keep things simple in the kitchen on occasion and this fits the bill. lolIf you want fewer, smaller and thinner sticky rolls, use only one loaf of bread dough instead of two and roll dough thinner. ...

  • Adventures in Homesteading 101: Tips for You and Your New Baby Chicks

    What started out as a part-time hobby for me and my husband has grown into a full-time lifestyle, we enjoy it that much. Not only is growing and raising our own food healthier for us, we have also found a great amount of rewarding satisfaction from it. We are by no means experts, but we have learned a few helpful things along the way that I thought I would share with others who are interested in taking the same journey into homesteading as we have done. ...

  • How Does Your Herb Garden Grow?

    Lately I have been planning some additions to my herb garden for next spring. For me, expanding my garden is an exciting thing! With so many wonderful herbs available and so many uses for them, you really can't go wrong adding more. Don't have an herb garden yet but want one? It's never too early to start planning for one! Have an herb garden? You might want to consider adding these to it if you haven't already (Check your growing zone if not grown indoors): Savory Summer (Satureja hortensis) - Add to butter for a tangy zip! Also great added to cooked vegetables and stews. ...